Vrnjačka Banja

Vrnjačka Banja ( Serbian - Cyrillic Врњачка Бања ) is a town, municipality and well-known spa town in Serbia , located in Raška district. In 2011 the city had 10,004 and the community 27,332 inhabitants. It was one of the most popular holiday destinations in the former Yugoslavia . In Serbia, the city is also known as the “Queen of Health Resorts” or “Queen of Health Resort Tourism”, whose health resort is also the largest in the country and the city itself is one of the most important tourist destinations in Serbia. In addition to its mineral springs , the city is also known for the Vrnjačka Banja Carnival .

Surname

Although the region has always been inhabited, the first written mention of Vrnjačka Banja came in a report by the geo and mineralogist August von Herder , who explored the natural resources of the Kingdom of Serbia during the 19th century at the behest of Prince Miloš Obrenović .

The name Vrnjačka Banja comes from the nearby village of Vrnjci , where the warm mineral springs that are characteristic of the town today were discovered and used in ancient times. Banja can be roughly translated as health resort, so Vrnjačka Banja translated means Vrnjcier health resort or Vrnjačka health resort . But it is also to be understood as a health resort Vrnjci.

Geographical location

Vrnjačka Banja is located in the south-western part of central Serbia in an extremely wooded and mountainous area, 200 kilometers south of the capital Belgrade in Okrug Raška , 25 kilometers from Kraljevo , the main administrative seat of the district, and 7 kilometers from Trstenik . The city is the economic, political and cultural center of the municipality and is surrounded by 14 settlements. It is located near the Kopaonik (2017 m), Željin (1785 m), Jastrebac (1492 m) and Stolovi (1376 m) mountains and is surrounded by the Goc (1216 m) and Gledić mountains near the western Morava .

climate

The climate is moderately continental with pleasantly warm summers and moderately cold winters. Due to the surrounding mountains Goc and Gledić, the health resort is in a favorable, sheltered location; around six months of the year there is no wind. The annual mean temperature is 10.5 ° C and in summer it is an average of 20 ° C.

history

Skordiskers, Romans, Byzantines and Slavs

The claim that the Romans already used the mineral springs was already in the writings of the naturalist, archaeologist and ethnologist Felix Philipp Kanitz , who traveled to the Kingdom of Serbia several times in the 19th century to research its historical sacred buildings and monuments. He reported from a source south of a Roman military camp in the nearby village of Gračac . During excavations in 1924, evidence was found that the Romans used Vrnjačka Banja as a health resort. In particular, more than 250 coins from the 2nd to 5th centuries, but also a ring , a key and a bathing pool point to the early use of the springs.

The glass pyramid, under which one of the numerous springs of Vrnjačka Banja rises.

Archaeological finds also show that the springs were also used during the Byzantine rule , but it is also assumed that they were also used later by the Slavs and Serbs . Between the 2nd and 4th centuries it was ultimately the Romans who built the thermal baths or the health resort Aquae Orcinae for the first time at one of the hot springs , in which the legions of the province of Upper Moesia and the military camps on the fortified Limes along the Danube rested , including the Legio VII Claudia , which was first set up by Julius Caesar for the Gallic War .

Today a small glass pyramid built in 1989 and designed by the Serbian architect Mihailo Mitrovica is located above the spring, which the Romans called Fons Romanus , for protection . The source can be reached from two sides via stairs that lead through below the surface of the site. Even before the Romans lived in this region, the Skordisker , a tribe that lived mainly in the territory of Serbia. It is not yet known whether they also used the sources.

From the Middle Ages to the 20th century

The medicinal benefits of the local water are said to have been known during the Serbian and Ottoman Empire . In order to prevent the use of the springs by the Ottoman occupiers, the local population is said to have buried the springs. In fact, the sources are barely mentioned in Ottoman scriptures. After the liberation of Serbia due to the Serbian uprisings in the 19th century and the gradual consolidation of political and economic conditions, an increasing interest in the use of the sources developed. Tradition has it that the healing properties of water were rediscovered thanks to the sick horse of the Serbian Orthodox priest Jeftimi Hadži-Popović from Vrnjci.

The Villa Aleksandar

At the behest of the Serbian prince Miloš Obrenović, the German geo and mineralogist August von Herder traveled to the Kingdom of Serbia to research Serbia's natural resources. He explained that the Vrnjci springs were of high quality and compared them with the famous Karlovy Vary springs in the Czech Republic. The local population had previously used the springs. On June 1, 1868, the Association of Founders of Vrnjici Hot Medicinal Mineral Water was founded on the initiative of Pavle Mutavdžić and other citizens from the Kruševac , Karavnovca and Trstenik area. The following year the first official spa season took place with fixed hot water springs, baths, spa doctors and a large number of visitors. At least since the construction of the villa of the Serbian general Jovan Belimarković , the later residence of King Aleksandar Obrenović and thus known today as Villa Aleksandar, Vrnjačka Banja has become particularly important and developed into a modern city.

Flag of the place

At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, more modern spa hotels, guest houses and accommodation were finally built, but also villas, hospitals and a sanatorium as well as many other care facilities that contributed to the development of the spa, as well as the improvement of the infrastructure . Since then, the number of visitors has grown continuously and Vrnjačka Banja was the most visited tourist place in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia , to which Serbia had belonged for several years, during the 1930s . During the Second World War , the country was occupied by the Axis powers . During this period, the spring on which the glass pyramid is located today was covered by a concrete slab to keep it away from the public. It wasn't until 1989 that this source was brought back to life. But even after the end of the war, the popularity of visiting the city continued and Vrnjačka Banja became one of the most famous health resorts in the former Yugoslavia. During the 1980s, up to 200,000 tourists annually visited the city with a total of 2 million overnight stays per season.

economy

In 1933, 133 handicraft and trading shops were registered in the city. The city's economy flourished particularly during the 1930s. After the Second World War, this was initially to change, as the state began to send mostly patients to Vrnjačka Banja for treatment. After a short time, numerous exclusive wellness facilities were no longer in operation. Vrnjačka Banja finally experienced an economic rebirth in the 1950s and 1960s with a steadily increasing number of visitors, which peaked during the 1980s with up to 200,000 tourists annually with a total of 2 million overnight stays per season. The associated construction of new and more modern facilities had also contributed to the economic upturn.

Historically, Vrnjačka Banja benefited primarily from tourism. In addition to the hotel and catering industry , the retail sector is also profiting today . In addition to tourism, the construction industry is also of great importance. Today the city is one of the most visited centers of national and international health tourism . In addition to thermal baths and wellness centers, the main attractions are the architecture, historical buildings, museums, festivals, nightlife and various events that attract numerous visitors every year.

Leisure and Tourism

Thermal baths and wellness

The Vrnjačka Banja is one of the most visited health resorts in Serbia and was one of the most famous in the former Yugoslavia. Even today, numerous tourists from home and abroad flock to the city to relax. Vrnjačka Banja mineral springs were marketed in 1970. Vrnjci mineral water quickly conquered the market in glass bottles and made its place of origin better known. There are seven springs in the village, four of which are recognized medicinal springs and are used by medicine for hydrotherapy . The Topla Voda spring has a temperature of 36.5 ° C and is mainly used for drinking and bathing. The cold mineral springs Snežnik (17 ° C), Jezero (27 ° C) and Slatina (14 ° C) belong to the group of alkaline springs.

Treatments are carried out in the Merkur specialist and rehabilitation clinic, which has modern medical facilities for diagnosis, prevention and treatment as well as appropriate specialists. The patient catering corresponds to modern nutritional principles and also offers the possibility of individual nutritional programs. The health resort has a capacity of over 15,000 beds, of which around 4,500 are in hotels and residential complexes, 850 beds in the health center and around 10,000 in private homes. With 800 beds, the Fontana hotel organization is the largest, including the better-known hotels and guest houses Fontana (The Fontana), Zvezda (The Star), Sloboda (The Freedom), Vila San (Villa Traum) and Beli Izvor (The White Spring ) includes. The hotels have swimming pools, conference rooms and sports facilities.

nightlife

The city offers a diverse nightlife. The promenade in particular offers numerous cafes , restaurants and snack bars with dishes of Serbian cuisine , as well as pizzerias and some night clubs . Especially during the summer months, the wide range is supplemented with various events and festivals in the open air. In addition to concerts by mainly national stars, numerous regional events take place regularly.

Music events concerts

Concerts and music events of different and mostly national music styles take place regularly in the city , including folklore , Serbian brass music , turbo-folk , but also rock music or classical music . Many music greats, especially from the regional scene, have already given concerts in Vrnjačka Banja, including Zdravko Čolić , Željko Samardžić and Svetlana Ražnatović , as well as the groups Riblja čorba and Van Goh .

Since 2007 one of the largest open-air festivals in Serbia has been taking place with the Lovefest . The focus is on electronic music from national and international DJs.

Vrnjačka Banja Carnival

The Vrnjačka Banja Carnival , with the Guča Trumpet Festival and the Exit Festival, is one of the largest events in Serbia, which gathers over 200,000 visitors annually. During the carnival there are numerous festivals and an international carnival parade, with groups from all over the world performing. Its roots lie in the establishment of the health resort in 1868 and the festivals held there, as the population at that time attached great importance to traditional and nationally oriented balls and dance events, folklore and popular festivals . From the Second World War, the events changed in the direction of masquerades in the Western European sense. Between the 1950s and 1970s, the costume or masked ball was particularly well attended. During the 1960s, the carnival developed but quickly lost its importance. In 2005 the carnival was brought back to life by local tourist organization.

Since then, the Vrnjački karneval has been held every 14th July, the highlight of which is considered to be the carnival parade, which gathers participants from up to 40 countries. Vrnjačka Banja is now a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities (FECC). The 31st FECC meeting took place there in 2011. The Carnival received national recognition by receiving the Tourist Flower Prize, which is awarded to the best national tourist events. This award is given by the Tourism Organization of Serbia with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Services. In 2013 the carnival reached a new record with 300,000 visitors and 3,500 participants.

Bridge of love

During the First World War , the Serbian teacher Nada and the Serbian officer Relja fell in love. His particularly strong love quickly won the attention of many of the city's citizens. During the war Relja had to go to the front in Greece . There he is said to have fallen in love with a Greek woman and ultimately never returned. Nothing is known about his further fate, but the actual reason should not have been a Greek, but Relja is said to have died on the battlefield , which Nada never found out. The grief and suffering from it had a very negative impact on her well-being and increased over time, so that she eventually died young and unhappy.

Part of the bridge with thousands of "love locks" attached.

Many citizens, especially girls and women, were so touched by their fate that from then on the tradition began of hanging locks with the initials of lovers around the railing of a bridge in the city park, which was a popular meeting place for the couple, as well as the keys to throw into the brook flowing below. This should symbolically represent their eternal love and avoid separation or a similar fate. During the Second World War , the tradition and the history associated with it were somewhat forgotten among the young due to the turmoil of the war. But during a visit to a spa by the well-known Serbian poet Desanka Maksimović , she learned about this event from the elderly and brought it to life with a poem that continues to this day.

The monument near the bridge

Maksimović was so touched by the story of Nada that it inspired her to write the love poem Molitva za ljubav (“Prayer for Love”), which is one of her most beautiful works today. Today this bridge bears the name "Bridge of Love" and is peppered with thousands of "love locks". The keys are no longer thrown into the water to protect the stream, but the actually ordinary bridge is a popular meeting place for many locals and tourists due to its history and importance. Today there is also a memorial with the story and the respective poem, the origin of which goes back over 100 years. Vrnjačka Banja is one of the first places where people began to use locks as a symbol of eternal love or where the cult of “love locks” began.

Sports

The city has three soccer fields , opportunities for playing volleyball and a multifunctional sports hall built in 2008 , which is named after the basketball player Vlade Divac and offers 1,300 seats. Vrnjačka Banja also has a swimming pool . In the city park there is a climbing wall on which you can practice free climbing . On the Goč Mountains, about 11 kilometers from the city center, there is a ski slope that is 520 meters long and 60 meters wide. The number of installed propulsion devices is 36, with a capacity of 1195 skiers per hour. The degree of difficulty of the slope is 30 percent. The skiing is there because of a lighting system also possible at night.

Attractions

In addition to the dense, walkable forests and mountains that are characteristic of this part of Serbia, there are mainly important sacred buildings of the Serbian Orthodox Church in and near Vrnjačka Banja . Their Serbian-Byzantine style was architecturally shaped by the Raška and Morava schools . Some of them are part of the UNESCO - World Heritage . In the vicinity of the city there are medieval fortresses and historical buildings such as the former villa of the Serbian king Aleksandar Obrenović and numerous vineyards . A museum was dedicated to the basketball legend Vlade Divac .

Bridge of love
Brvenik Fortress from the 14th century
Koznik Fortress from the 14th century
Japanese garden , covering an area of 3000 square meters, which was built in 2011
Đurđevi stupovi monastery, about 60 km away
Church of the Nativity from the 19th century
Mausoleum of General Jovan Belimarković and his family
Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Theotokos , built in 1834
Serbian Orthodox Church of St. John
Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Petrus , about 7 km away
Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava
Villa Aleksandar, former villa of Jovan Belimarković and King Aleksandar Obrenović
Vlade Divac Museum
Public library "Dr. Dušan Radić ”, with around 40,000 books

Personalities

Danka Podovac (* 1982), national soccer player
Aleksandar Drenovak (* 1983), amateur boxer and Olympic participant from 2012

Web links

Commons : Vrnjačka Banja - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

swell

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Vrnjačka Banja (Serbian)
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Istorija Vrnjačke Banje (Serbian)
↑ Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Geografski položaj (Serbian)
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Rimski izvor (Serbian)
↑ Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Mesta za izlazak (Serbian)
↑ ^a ^b Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Koncerti i festivali (Serbian)
↑ Lovefest at serbiaincoming.rs
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Vrnjački Carnival (Serbian)
^ Vrnjačka banja: Večernje novosti : Na karnevalu 300,000 posetilaca. Serbian.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Most ljubavi (Serbian)
↑ The standard : Herzilein, the key is in the Rhine
↑ ^a ^b ^c Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Okolina (Serbian)

[VB-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Vrnjačka Banja (Serbian)

[Istorija-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Istorija Vrnjačke Banje (Serbian)

[3] Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Geografski položaj (Serbian)

[RI-4] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Rimski izvor (Serbian)

[5] Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Mesta za izlazak (Serbian)

[Koncerti_i_festivali-6] Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Koncerti i festivali (Serbian)

[7] Lovefest at serbiaincoming.rs

[VK-8] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Vrnjački Carnival (Serbian)

[9] Vrnjačka banja: Večernje novosti : Na karnevalu 300,000 posetilaca. Serbian.

[ML-10] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Most ljubavi (Serbian)

[11] The standard : Herzilein, the key is in the Rhine

[Okolina-12] Official website of Vrnjačka Banja: Okolina (Serbian)